Gauging apparatus



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GAUGING APARATUS Original Filed April 25, 1938 /y 7 l 50 54 Il 52 CHARLES A. LANG INYENTOR l. a .BY wma@ ,L )um ATTonNfzYs I c. A. LANG 2,276,212

Patented Mar. 1G, 1942 Charles A. Lang, Minneapolis, Minn., assignor to Langage, Inc., Minneapolis,l Minn., a corpora.-

tion of Minnesota original application April 25, 193s, serialQNo. 204,073. Divided and this application VAugust 23, 1940,1Seria1 No. 353,877-

This invention relates to gauging apparatus, and more particularly to liquid level gauges of the mechanically operated type for. the accurate gauging of liquid levels in tanks.

Frequently the tanks for bulk storage of gasoline, oil, and other liquids are placed underground under driveways and the like. It has heretofore not been feasible to provide a gauging apparatus adjacent theY tank or tanks thus 1ocated, and accordingly the gauging of such tanks has been by means of hand lines, gauging sticks and other tallying devices. These however, have beenwinconvenient to use and have not provided a suiiiciently accurate measurement of the liquids in the tank to beacceptable under all conditions.

It is accordingly an object of the inventionto provide a gauging apparatus for indicating the liquid level in liquid containing tanks, and `more particularly, to provide anv apparatus capable of being installed in driveways, roadways, and the like, directly above the tanks. l.

It is likewise an object of the invention to provide a gauging apparatus which isv water and dirt proof, easily installed and easily serviced, and one which is rugged, economical to manufacture, simple in its construction, and accurate in its operation. y

It is a further and more specific object of the invention to provide a gauging apparatus in which the gauging mechanism per se is mounted for movement to an exposed position such that installation, repair and adjustment are facilitated.

Other objects of the invention are thosel inherent in and implied by the invention herein illustrated, described and claimed. y

The invention is illustrated .with reference to the drawing in which i Figure 1 is a plan view of the gauging apparatus of the present invention showing the top cover of the case removed, and certain of the parts thereof broken away.

Figure 2 is an elevational view in section takenA along the lines 2-2 of Figure 1.

Throughout the drawing, corresponding nu-l merals designate corresponding parts,

The gauging apparatus comprises a casing, generally designated I0, of rectangular, preferably square, conflguration and preferably having a flat bottom II and side walls I2, I3, I4 and I5. The casing is provided with a cover I8, which is attached by means of a plurality of screws I9, which are threaded into screw holes I6 in the side walls. At one corner of the housing, the bottom II isrecessed as shown at 2i! and is pro- Upon the bed plate 23, there are `mounted av plurality of pulleys l2li described. y Y

. Within the housing, there is mounted a swing frame, generally designated 30, comprising a top piece 3| and a bottom piecef32, which are attached to pivot b'ars 34 and35'b`y. means of screws `and Zyl for apurpose to-be casing wall I2 by means of ascrew'll, which extends-through the bar'Sll and into the boss lil. Similarly., the bar 35 is pivotally connected to the casing wall I4 by means ofa screw 2 which u passes through bar 35 intoV the boss t3 of the casing wall. The screws 4D and 42 extend along the same axis'and thereiorethe entire frame 39 may be swung from the position shown in Figure 2 to apositi'on in .whichY the frame extends upwardlyirom the casing Il); v It will' be noted furtherl that the pivoting axis defined by screws 6U and ft2 is closely adjacent the' axis or pipe cond`uit22.v v

Aresistant shaft 5i! is journaled in the,Y cross bars 3| yand 32 and carriesl a ywinding druml 5I' upon vwhich one of the operating wires 52 is adapted to be wound, and a "snflallerl winding4 drum Eli upon which a counter-weight support# ing wire 53 is "adapted to be wound. The wire- 52 extends from the winding drum 5I over the pulleyv 2tv and thence downwardly closely 'adjacent the inside ofthe conduit pipe 22 into'the tank. The counter-weightsupporting wire eX- tends from the'o ounter-weightv winding drum Elli' over they counter-weight -wire pulley 2l and thence downwardly to 'acounter-weight 55, which operates througha vertical' path of movement in the conduit pipe 22.

Upon one` face of the'iwinding upon an indicia discattached thereto, there is inscribeda spiral 58 oiindiciav which, as illustrated, extendsl through. a .plurality of turns. Upon theA shaftfll, and adjacent the indicia side ofthe drum, there isa pinion 60 yof small ldiam eter which mesheswith a rack barrZ, therack 'bar operating in a transverse groove on the un derside of the framev piece 3l. At one endv of the rack bar, there is provided a pin 64 and at the other end an indicia. pointer 65 which serveV l V -to limit the movementv of the rack' bar 62 trans- 'Ifhe bar 34' is vpivot'ally' connected to the` drum 5I ror strument shown in Figures 1 and 2, but it isA preferably of a type having a dimension suiiiciently small that it may be lowered through the pipe 22 into the underground tank. It may be noted that the counter-weight 55 operates within the pipe 22, and that the wire 52 to the displacement member is arranged with reference to the counter-weight so that each moves freely within the pipe.

The operation of the gauging instrument is as follows: As the Vliquid 4level `is raised, the displacement member rises allowing wire-52 to be wound upon the winding drum 5I due to the torque developed by the counter-weight 55 attached to the wire 53. The-windingdrum 5| has a radius which is much larger than the radius of the counterweight winding drum 54. The buoyancy of the displacement member (not illustrated), attached to wire 52, produces a relatively large torque due to the large radius of winding drum 5|. The counter-torque produced by the counterweight 55 acting through cable 53 wound on drum 54 is relatively small due to the small radius of drum 54, but is suiiicient to maintain a constant tension upon wire 52. The tension in wire 52 is not sufficient' to lift the displacement member out of the liquid, the level of which is being measured. Consequently, the displacement member controls therotation of winding drums 5| and 54. The length of thespiral 58 upon the drum 5| (or upon the separate disc if used) is of the same order and magnitude as the distance between low and high level positions, and the scale divisions on the spiral are accordingly of the same order and magnitude as the liquid level changes as they denote. As the liquid level is lowered, drum 5| unwinds the suspension wire 52 and pointer 61 is moved pivotally toward` the shaft 50. The result is that pointer 61 is always in juxtaposition to the spiral of liquid level indicia markings corresponding to the particular liquid level existing in the tank, and the exact liquid level is indicated by the indicia on the spiral most adjacentthe pointer 45.

The cover |8 is provided with an opening 10, which is preferablyinclosed by means of a glass 1|. Since the gauging apparatus is frequently installed in paved` driveways,Y it is desirable to protect the glass 1| by means of a hinged metal cover 12, which isr preferablyprovided `with a hasp and lock portion 13, which enables the cover 12-to be locked closed. p

In installing the apparatus, andduring., servicing or adjustmentjthecover |8 lma'y'beremoved, andV the' frame l3|| may" then be moved pivotally upon screws 40 and- 42 to a position extending out ofV the housing. In this position however, they wire- 52V extending downwardly through the pipe 22 tothe displacement member, and the wire 53, which extends to the counter-weight 55 are not deranged from their pulleys 26 and 21 respectively. Hence, initial adjustment and servicing Yare convenient.

While it is preferred to use wires for members 52 and 53, it is obviously possible to use braided cables and the like.

This application is a division of my application, Ser. No. 204,073 led April 25, 1938.

Many obvious variations will be apparent to those skilled in the art and such are intended to be Within the purview of the invention illustrated, described and claimed.

A kWhat I claim is:

' `vl. A gauging instrument for use in a gauging system having a displacement member and a flexible operatingv member attached thereto, said iiexible operating member being extended or retracted by said displacement member in accordance with the condition being gauged, comprising a housing, a frame mounted in said housing for swinging movement from a position within the'housing to a position extending outof the housing, a winding drum having indicia thereon pivotally mounted on said frame, a pointer in the housing cooperatingwith said indicia, and a pulley pivotally mounted in the housing for conducting said exible operating member to said winding drum for attachment thereto, said system including means for causing said winding drum to rotate in a direction to wind said flexible operating member on the drum. 1

' 2. A gauging instrument for use in a gauging system having a displacement member and a flexible operating member attached thereto, said iiexible operating member being extended or retracted by said displacementl member in accordance with the condition being gauged, comprising a housing, a frame having opposed portions, said portions being pivotally connected to the housing along a common axis of pivoting, a drum having indicia thereon for winding said flexible operating member, said drum being pivotally mounted on the frame, and a pointer mounted on the frame for cooperation with said indicia, said system including torque means for causing rotation of the drum in a direction for winding said exible operating member thereon.

3. A gauging instrument for use in a gauging system having a displacement member and a flexible operating memberv attached thereto, said flexible operating member being extended or retracted by said displacement member in accordance with the condition being gauged, comprising a flat rectangular housing, a removable cover for said housing, a frame within the housing, said frame having portions along opposed sidewalls, coaxial pivotal connections at corresponding ends of said frame portions connecting said portions to the housing for pivotally swinging the frame to a position extending from the housing, a winding drum for the flexible operating member of the gauging system, indicia disc co-pivotally mounted on the frame for movement vwith the winding drum, an indicia pointer on the frame, said system including torque means for causing rotation of the winding drum for winding said iiexible -operating member on the drum.

4. A device of the type specified in claim 3 wherein th'e drum has a pinion coaxially therewith and the pointer is slidably mounted for movement parallel tothe indicia disc and-includes a rack portion cooperating with said pinion for slidably moving the pointer from' a position near the center of the indicia disc to a position near the edge of said disc as the disc rotates ible operating member attached thereto, said iiexible operating member being extended or retracted by said displacement member in accordance with the condition being gauged, comprising a flat rectangular housing having an opening in one corner of one of th'e at faces of the housing for connecting a conduit thereto, a frame in said housing having spaced arms, one lying parallel to each of two opposed sidewalls of the housing, a pivotal connection from one of said arms to the adjacent sidewall near the opening in the housing and a co-aXial pivotal connection between the other arm and the housing sidewall adjacent thereto, a drum portion pivotally mounted on the frame and mounted so as to lie in the housing for winding the flexible operating member of the gauging system, an indicia disc rotatable with said drum portion, an indicia pointer mounted for cooperation with said indicia disc, and a pulley mounted in the housing for conducting said exible operating member from the opening to the winding drum, said system including torque means for applying winding torque to the drum in a direction to wind the flexible operating member thereon.

6. A device of the type specied in claim 5 wherein the drum has a pinion rotatable coaxially therewith and the indicia pointer is mounted for slidable movement radially of the disc portion and includes a rack portion for cooperation with said pinion.

7. A device of the type set forth' in claim 5 wherein the housing has a removable cover ihaving an opening co-extensive with the radial path of movement of said indicia pointer.

8. A device of the type set forth in claim 5 wherein there is a second Winding drum smaller than the first drum rotatable therewith, and a second pulley adjacent the opening in the housing for conducting a flexible member from said opening to the second winding drum.

`CHARLES A. LANG. 

